Justin Rose has sealed his place at the Tour Championship in Atlanta by winning the BMW Championship in a battling final round.
Rose, 31, chipped in for birdie on the 17th hole after admitting he nearly opted to putt it from the edge of the green and hung on to win, finishing with an even-par 71 at Cog Hill, near Chicago, for a two-shot victory over John Senden
The Englishman had watched a five-shot lead over Australian John Senden shorten to one until the birdie chip gave him the cushion for a third PGA Tour title.
Rose played bravely and later admitted: “I took on a few crazy shots.”
The world number 17 added: “The manner in which I won this tournament, it rates as high as the best tournament I’ve ever won, just by going wire-to-wire.
“I think mentally this is the best I’ve ever been in terms of being very under control with my emotions, being very calm, being very aware of the situation and feeling comfortable with it.
“I may have had better ball striking weeks as a whole but I think this week as a competitor and as a professional, I think it was probably my best ever performance.”
Having started his round nervously, with a bogey at the par-three second, Rose got back on track with birdies on the sixth and seventh.
Another bogey followed on the ninth and he was fortunate to escape with a six on the par-five 15th after a wayward tee-shot which flew into the trees.
He held a one-shot lead over Senden going up the 17th, but after a poor approach a brilliantly holed chip for birdie effectively handed him the title with Senden only managing a par after putting his second shot in the bunker from the middle of the fairway.
Rose then hit a pumping drive up the 18th and left himself a 5 iron in on the tough par 4 and two putted for victory.
